ipl-logo

The Role Of Heroes In The Odyssey

353 Words2 Pages

Is there value in celebrating certain individuals as heroes? Heroes encourage individuals to aspire to be greater. Heroes possess attributes such as bravery, honor, and justice. On the other hand, heroes aren’t perfect they do have flaws. However, flaws do not negate the positive influence heroes possess. In the poem,” The Odyssey,” Odysseus spent 20 years fighting trying to find his way home to save the one he loves. Throughout his journey, he encounters monsters and temptations. He was celebrated as a hero because he possessed the attributes from the Greek society. People admired his bravery he showed by fighting mythological creatures. He showed honor by going back for his men when they were turned into animals. However, he was boastful

Show More
Related

  • Examples Of Odysseus Being A Hero

    956 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Odyssey, a Greek epic written by Homer has many characters that could be considered heroes, but none as greatly debated on whether he should be called a hero as Odysseus. Odysseus is a hero due to the fact that he wants to protect the ones he loves, shows courage through his actions and words, and as a leader is able to inspire others to have courage. Odysseus’s family

    Read More

  • Examples Of Heroes In The Odyssey

    510 Words  | 3 Pages

    To Be Brave What is a hero? Does a hero fly over a house, or is it a person walking down the street? In the book The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus, the former king of Ithaca is on a journey back home where he faces many struggles. Odysseus shows that he is a hero during that trip with his bravery and quick thinking. Cole Farrand, like Odysseus, also shows traits of a hero when he saves a man from a burning building.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Odysseus An Epic Hero

    615 Words  | 3 Pages

    Is Odysseus an Epic Hero? In Homer’s Epic Story The Odyssey, Odysseus shows many qualities that make him a Epic Hero. First Odysseus promises a friend that before he returns home he will go to where he died and bury him, this will put him to rest so he can go to a better place. Next when Odysseus and his men end up with Circe she turns them into pigs, he is told in order to change his men back he must lay in bed with Circe. Lastly Odysseus tricks the Cyclops by telling him his name is nobody, he did this to save his men’s lives.

    Read More

  • Hero's Journey In The Odyssey

    996 Words  | 4 Pages

    Odysseus’s Tumultuous Journey Heroes in today’s literature often take on difficult challenges that put themselves in constant danger to better themselves. Joseph Campbell came out with a book in 1949 called “A Hero with a Thousand Faces” which he introduced the “Hero’s Journey” formula that Odysseus closely follows. The Odyssey is a Greek mythology following Odysseus, a Trojan War hero who faces many dangers trying to get back to his homeland of Ithaca. At his homeland of Ithaca suitors are eating out his home and trying to marry his wife while Telemachus sets out to find his father, but eventually comes back unsuccessful. Finally, Odysseus comes home and takes back his home and family.

    Read More

  • Odysseus In Homer's The Odyssey

    744 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Odyssey Essay What is the first thing that comes to mind when hear the word Hero someone brave, nice, kind, honest, smart, and someone who puts their life on the line for others. Well in the Odyssey Odysseus is not all of these things only a few, Odysseus is a cruel, greedy, and murderous man who only cares for himself. In the Odyssey By Homer a king named Odysseus went to war with Troy which started this whole adventure he made a plan to defeat the Trojans by making the Trojan horse and sneaking himself along with his men inside Troy to wait till nightfall and sneak out of the horse to take over Troy while everyone is asleep. He tried to sail his way home but got lost and it took him 20 years to get back because of various misadventures like get caught by a cyclops, getting stuck on an island of lotus-eaters, going by the sirens, going through Scylla and Charybdis, Eating the sun gods cattle, getting stuck on an island with a time distorting goddess along with other misadventures which

    Read More

  • Essay On Pride In The Odyssey

    524 Words  | 3 Pages

    1st paragraph- Mahatma Gandhi once said: “Anger is the enemy of non-violence and pride is a monster that swallows it up.” Pride is seen by many as a weakness but pride is what encourages many to prove themselves. Odysseus’ major flaw is believing he is greater than any other human, sometimes even the gods. Odysseus demonstrates this weakness when he encounters the Cyclops and enrages him by trespassing into the one-eyed beast's cave.

    Read More

  • Epic Heroes In The Odyssey

    302 Words  | 2 Pages

    I enjoyed reading your discussion on the convictions of epic heroes and how they varied. I agree that the heroes’ sense of purpose provided the fuel and force to achieve their goals. Your analogy of Odysseus and his drive to achieve the goal of returning home as his driving force was on target. I also found it interesting how Odysseus is also faced with contradictions such as his fall to infidelities and his eventual acknowledgement of this weakness when he asks his men to tie him up as he passes the Sirens (Homer, trans. 1996). Another aspect to consider is the way the epic heroes are viewed by others.

    Read More

  • How Is Odysseus A Good Leader

    540 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Odyssey Essay Imagine being away from your family for 20 years fighting in a war then fighting with monsters. That is what Odysseus had to do. Odysseus is a hero from the epic poem “The Odyssey” by Homer. Along the way Odysseus had several challenges he had to face.

    Read More

  • Odysseus: The True Hero In Homer's The Odyssey

    997 Words  | 4 Pages

    A hero is someone who is revered for his or her exceptional achievements and bravery. Anyone who puts themselves before others not for recognition or an award, but because it is the right thing to do, is a true hero. In "The Odyssey," written by Homer is an epic poem about a man named Odysseus and his crewmates competing against the power of the gods to return to their homeland, Ithaca. Throughout his journey, he loses almost all of his men, but Odysseus finally arrives home, concluding his prolonged twenty-year voyage. Odysseus must battle the suitors that have taken his wife Penelope, and may soon kill his son Telemachus.

    Read More

  • Odysseus Perseverance Quotes

    645 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Odyssey, Trojan War hero Odysseus exhibits perseverance in the ten years of war and leads his men on the long journey home. Odysseus has to endure the frustrations of the war and the negligence that the gods show to him in his most desperate times. The pain he goes through exhibits his love for the special ones in his life, and it gives him the strength to make it home. Odysseus is challenged during the ten year war, but he will not give up, which proves how he is a true hero. The hero shows how he is a true hero through his actions and not his words.

    Read More

  • The Odyssey: A Comparison Of The Hero's Hero

    1072 Words  | 5 Pages

    The Odyssey is often cited as an epitome of the hero’s journey and the monomyth. The hero of the story, Odysseus is on a 10 year battle homeward from the Trojan War to see his wife and son again. With the help divine intervention, Odysseus is able to return home and save his wife from the evil suitors who have continuously tried to win her. One could easily argued that Odysseus is an exemplar of the hero, but there is another story: Odysseus is the opposite of a hero and is not worthy to be called such. He is the villain where the gods are the hero.

    Read More

  • How Odysseus Is An Epic Hero In Homer's The Odyssey

    541 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Odyssey by Homer is a book that involves the Journey of Odysseus and his men and the Obstacles they come across. The Odyssey portrays many themes including vengeance, hospitality, courage, bravery and more. Odysseus experiences some good and bad during his journey. He comes across people who help him, but also comes across creatures who hold him back. Odysseus is an Epic hero because of his quick thinking skills, bravery, and confidence for himself and his men.

    Read More

  • Odysseus As A Hero In Homer's The Odyssey

    1108 Words  | 5 Pages

    Menelaus states, “No one took on so much, went through so much as Odysseus.” The epic poem, The Odyssey, by Homer, is the story of an ancient war hero’s 10 year struggle to return home after the Trojan War. Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus faces the wrath of the gods, and fights battles against many mythical creatures such as Polyphemus, and the his grueling mental battle with the sirens. Across Odysseus’s journey, he shows many characteristics of a hero such as his resiliency, and his tactileness. For example, Odysseus shows his ability as a tactician through his encounters with Gods and monsters, such as his seven year time span on calypso’s island.

    Read More

  • Heroism In The Odyssey

    1332 Words  | 6 Pages

    Heroism, tends to be difficult to define and remarkably ambiguous in literary works. In the Odyssey, however, Homer clearly defines a hero as a humble, determined, and loyal individual; thus, according to Homer, it is not enough to claim to be a hero, but it is also important to exhibit those qualities that Homer values as heroism. Odysseus, despite claiming heroism, upholds these traits inconsistently, as seen in his taunting of Polyphemus. In contrast, Telemachus, Odysseus’ overlooked son, dramatically grows up over the course of the epic and ultimately reveals his truly heroic qualities by the end of the poem. Thus, because Odysseus claims to be a hero, but fails to remain humble, determined, and loyal throughout the epic, he is not a hero.

    Read More

  • Comparing Odysseus And Ulysses In The Odyssey

    863 Words  | 4 Pages

    In The Odyssey, Odysseus was a major hero of the novel. He had both heroic traits and human weaknesses. Odysseus defeated the Cyclops, defeated the suitors that were courting his wife, and overcome other challenges throughout the novel. A special trait that made Odysseus a hero was that he was a courageous

    Read More

More about The Role Of Heroes In The Odyssey

Open Document